Sorenson urges aggression on the bases
Coach Mark Sorenson insists the Black Sox are not defending their world softball title in Canada – they are aiming to win it.
The New Zealanders won a record sixth International Softball Federation gold medal in Auckland in 2013 but only seven players from that group will be back on the diamond when the 2015 tournament starts on Saturday.
Sorenson, a four-time world champion, took over the coaching from Eddie Kohlhase in 2014 and had to immediately find some new blood. The retirees included some of New Zealand softball’s all-time greats, including Thomas Makea – arguably the best all-round player in Black Sox history – and former captains Jarrad Martin and Rhys Casley, long-time catcher Patrick Shannon, and senior outfielder Daniel Milne. Jeremy Manley, the top pitcher at the 2013 world tournament, also decided on the eve of selection this year he no longer had the desire for international softball.
Sorenson also omitted veteran outfielder Donny Hale and infielder Tyron Bartorillo, leaving only pitchers Nik Hayes and Heinie Shannon, infielders Thomas Byrne and Brad Rona, and outfielders Ben Enoka, Nathan Nukunuku and Wayne Laulu from the class of 2013, with senior catcher Stephen Ratu recalled from the 2009 squad.
Nine Black Sox – pitcher Kurt Schollum, catcher Connor Peden, infielders Joel Evans, Jerome Raemaki, Josh Harbrow and Cole Evans, and outfielders Campbell Makea, Jovaan Hanley and Thomas Enoka – are at their first world championships.
Hence, Sorenson’s assertion that this is ‘‘a new group’’.
‘‘We’re not going out to defend the title, we’re going out to try and win it.’’
There is also a new mindset about the Black Sox’s offence, which was previously built around long-ball power hitting.
There is still plenty of home run potential – the Black Sox hit 31 homers on their two-week buildup tour – and opposition pitchers will show veteran sluggers Rona and Nukunuku, and the in-form Thomas Enoka respect. But Sorenson and assistant coach Carl Franklin have been emphasising the need to ‘‘manufacture runs’’ with accurate contact hitting, bunting, and hit-andrun plays, and speed and aggression on the basepaths.
The Black Sox have pace to burn with Cole and Joel Evans, both Enoka brothers, Harbrow, Makea and Byrne displaying ample speed, while skipper Nukunuku is still no slouch in his mid-30s.
Sorenson said New Zealand’s rivals should be aware that ‘‘when we get runners on [base], we are stealing, hit-and-running, and taking every basic 50-50 chance we get.’’ Batters would still be encouraged to thump plum pitches over the outfield fence but Sorenson said the new mindset was ‘‘the home run is a bonus’’, although he was mindful ‘‘the one base you can’t steal is first base’’.
New Zealand pitchers once struck fear into opposition hitters’ hearts with former greats like Kevin Herlihy, Owen Walford, Steve Jackson, Michael White, Peter Meredith, Chubb Tangaroa and Marty Grant among the best in the world.
While the Black Sox do not have the overpowering pitching of old, Sorenson is satisfied veteran Heinie Shannon, Hayes and young Marlborough fastballer Schollum have the tools for the job.
‘‘It’s about working as a team and having a smart, structured game plan that they are ruthless about sticking to.
‘‘They’ve got to put aside the personal gain of getting 12 or 14 strikeouts . . . it doesn’t matter how you get batters out, it’s about being smart and executing well.’’
The coaching team has worked in the warmup phase to ensure all 17 players had sufficient match practice before the world championships. Sorenson said a positive start was essential.
The results of the first three games – against Argentina, Great Britain and Canada – would go a long way to determining the qualifiers for the playoffs.